Nearly a third of drinking water is lost due to simple water leaks that evaporate in nature. These leaks are mainly due to natural hazards, such as extreme weather conditions, such as the severe drought observed in 2022 and 2023, or storms causing excess water in the land. The pipes cannot withstand in an unstable environment.
The pipes eventually give way under the pressure of the water flowing inside, from being constantly stressed. This diagram is valid for all types of piping, whether it is a private individual, a company or a community. It is impossible to replace all damaged pipes without increasing the cost of water. In the rural departments, where the population density is low and where there are few inhabitants to finance the necessary works, this problem is particularly important. On the other hand, the Île-de-France region, the most populated, is the one where the waste of drinking water is the least important.
The government will present Thursday, March 30 the “Water plan” aimed at reducing inequalities between French departments and ultimately limiting the waste of drinking water. Another way to limit water leaks is to detect them as early as possible. Within SEDIF, the control center which monitors the pipeline network in real time, a team of around ten people and 1,700 sensors can detect leaks before they become critical.
Here is the list of the departments where the water leaks are the most important. Waste exceeds 30% according to eau france:
